There was a totoal of 161 beekeepers consulted as part of this survey. Those that didn’t respond or had their phone not in service, etc. totalled 38, while 23 had no hives at the present time.
- 62 beekeepers had 1 to 4 hives (including 3 Warre and 8 top bar) with a survival rate of 62%
Those with 3 or 4 hives had a survival rate of 72% - 24 beekeepers had 5 to 10 hives (including 1 Warre) with a survival rate of 56%
- 8 beekeepers had 10 to 20 hives with a survival rate of 64%
- 6 beekeepers had more than 20 hives with a survival rate of 58%
However, four of those with over 20 hives had a 92% survival rate - Those keeping top bar hives had a survival rate of 75%
- Those keeping Warre hives had a 67% survival rate
Although the following is not a comprehensive list, some people reported what they thought were the reasons their bees didn’t survive the winter season:
Initially, during late summer, the wasps weakened many colonies. Of those that remained to face winter, starvation was the main problem. Secondly, lack of ventilation and moisture in the hive were mentioned. Two or three people noted that nosema was the culprit.